After all the hard work over the last couple of weeks the guitar is finished!

By six O'clock on Saturday evening it was fully strung and ready for its first play.

We had a babysitter so the kids stayed at home and Byron and myself went out to the party. As we arrived the guitars were on display at the back of the workshop in their various stages of completion. People were standing around admiring them and playing a few simple chords. It felt very strange seeing my guitar being played, especially by people I didn't know.

Over the next couple of hours there were speeches and the workshop was officially opened.

Strato sat down with my guitar and played a couple of pieces and it sounded great. Other guitar players played their own instruments and the next couple of hours passed in a blur of music and talking. We went on for a meal at a local cafe "Double Take" Some of Stratos Chilean friends turned up and they played an impromptu set of Chilean traditional music.

It was a great night and I came away with a great feeling of having achieved something very tangible